Taste the difference: a few of our favourite pubs and restaurants in Kent for foodies

The Dog at Wingham

Three talented chefs have put this pub on the map. People travel miles to sample the modern British food. One of the oldest pubs in Kent, The Dog, set in a pretty village near Canterbury known for its thatched cottages and medieval houses, is much-loved by the locals too. Start your day with a delicious breakfast (in bed if you like): black pudding, avocado, smoked salmon, porridge, yoghurt and fruit. At the other end of the day, try a locally-sourced steak or just-caught fish served at a table set with fresh flowers, before slipping upstairs to super-smart rooms. Sunday roasts are popular too. Hop in the car to Sandwich. You can walk from the estuary quay to the wild shingle shore: a happy half hour for your dog.

View The Dog at Wingham >

The Ferry House

There’s a remote feel to this tranquil spot but the inn itself is a definite foodie destination. They grow most of the produce used in the restaurant in their one-acre garden which you’re welcome to wander around. Breakfast is served in the bar/restaurant and includes a full Kentish spread with home-smoked bacon, homemade sausages, Eggs Royale with home-smoked fish, or a lighter Grazing Bowl with oats, seeds, quinoa and garden fruits. It’s worth staying in for lunch and dinner too – lamb ribs with chimichurri, popcorn partridge breast from the owner’s shoot, beef from the Elmley Nature Reserve, foraged ingredients from hedgerows and shorelines, and veggie and vegan options if ordered ahead. Views soar from the dining terrace over the river. Bedrooms are very comfortable.

View The Ferry House >

Three Sisters Sevenoaks

Talented chef, Tom Duffill, worked in acclaimed restaurants in London, including a stint as head chef at Michelin-starred Arbutus. What began as a lockdown project between him and his wife, Becky, has flourished into two projects: Dining at Home and Supper Club at Chart Farm. Working closely with 450-acre Chart Farm, shortening the gap between farm and table, championing local suppliers and producers, always with a focus on seasonality quickly became a winning combination. Pick up an oven-ready feast plus cocktails, freshly baked breads, treats and provisions for an at-home Saturday night meal or come to the farm for Friday night supper club, the food is sublime. 

Stay at The Dorset Arms, where you can tramp through Pooh Bear’s 100 Acre Wood and stay at this outstanding historic pub with lovely rooms.

View The Dorset Arms > 

The Swan at Chapel Down 

 Set amongst hardy Chapel Down vines, the wood-clad 2AA rosette Swan restaurant uses the freshest, locally sourced ingredients to create menus that really sing. Try a zingy Essex crab and apple salad followed by Morghew Estate pheasant with Swiss chard and Jerusalem artichoke. Each dish comes with a recommended wine pairing, all chosen from the vineyard’s award-winning sparkling and still wines. For special occasions, book the private dining room, seating up to 18. Dogs are welcome in the restaurant but must be kept on a lead in the grounds. You can book in for a guided tour and tasting too.

Stay at Boxwood, at the end of an unpaved road, surrounded by oaks, chestnuts and pines. A simple, architect-designed home that’s airy by day and cosy by night.

View Boxwood >

Fordwich Arms

One Michelin-starred establishment, the Fordwich Arms pub, sits next to the flowing river Stour in England’s smallest town. Step inside this elegant Arts and Crafts style building where an impressive wood-topped bar and open fire welcomes you into a room bursting with charm. Eat in the wood-panelled dining room, or if you get lucky with the weather, pull up a seat on the delightful wisteria-covered terrace and gaze at river views. The cooking is modern, creative and loved by food critics. Try house-cured meats, Maldon rock oysters and local crab, plump pheasant dumplings stuffed with Stour valley bird. Or a parfait of chicken liver with gingerbread and red grapes. Vegetarian dishes are never an afterthought: sweetcorn panisse on a corn chowder with a confit duck egg yolk is a fine example.

Stay at 14 Love Lane, a beautiful, fresh townhouse with spoiling touches just outside the city walls of Canterbury. Whitstable close by, eateries a walk away.

View 14 Love Lane >

Tallow Restaurant

Tallow Restaurant in Southborough, a leafy town in the civil parish of Tunbridge Wells, does good things with food. Short, fresh, monthly-changing menus celebrate the seasons and local provenance with a choice of a la carte or a tasting menu paired with wine. To feel completely immersed in the dining experience, book The Chef’s Table located in a private dining room. The chef will talk you through techniques and ingredients while preparing a dinner-party style, tasting menu for up to eight guests. Donna and Rob Taylor’s eatery was named Best Local Restaurant in the 2023 Good Food Guide, a well-deserved gong.

Stay at The Cottage in the Garden, an enchanting hideaway with sensational views in a flowery English semi-wild country garden, near Sissinghurst and Great Dixter.

View The Cottage in the Garden >

Photography by Saltwick Media